Through the Looking Glass

We made a trip out to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in hopes of catching some wildflower blooms. There's something wonderful about finding flowers in the middle of a desert. I've noticed a lot of people tend to think deserts are empty, desolate, wastelands...if you happen to be one of these people, then you need to go spend a few hours romping around a desert. You will definitely feel differently.





We set off with the goal to find this beauty...



It's a Desert Lily. I shouldn't say "we." Kevin made it clear beforehand that he was coming along only for the hiking and exercise, and had no interest in finding flowers. But he ended up being as enthusiastic about it as I was. He'd point out flowers as we were walking by that I didn't even notice. Then he'd pull out his I-Pod to figure out what flower it was (we downloaded a cool program that has pictures and names of the desert flowers we might see).

When I stumbled across my first Lily, it was like finding a diamond in the rough. They're very camouflaged, small, and pale...so they can be hard to see.




The giant cactus in the picture above is called a Barrel Cactus. They are so awesome to stand next to. Most of the Barrel Cactus we saw had pretty yellow flowers blooming at their tops.



The plant in the picture above is called an Ocotillo. You can't tell from the picture, but it has these insanely sharp, vicious-looking spines. It gave me chills just to stand next to it. It's also probably the reason for the grimace on Kevin's face in the picture. Haha.

So after a little more hill-climbing...



spider-searching, flower identifying, and sunshine-enjoying...
we called it a day. I already can't wait until our next trip!

I'm extremely saddened by the loss of Chelsea King. For some reason, this case has affected me more than any other before. I think about it several times a day, and it brings me to tears every time. It was a wakeup call for me. I didn't know Chelsea King personally, but I do know this...the world just grew a little darker.

Parents...please do what you can to protect your daughters. They need our help to keep them safe from the monsters in this world that are more than willing to take their lives.

Teach them to be safe and aware. Lead by example.

R.I.P. Chelsea King.

The text message, out of nowhere, from my husband
"<3 U 4eva" (or 'heart you forever' for those not familiar with 'text-speak')


Having turned that red knob on my bike to the right EVERY time my instructor yelled to do so, even though every part of me screamed "DON'T DO IT!" (turning to the right adds resistance)



Noticing a cute, tiny lizard scurry into the bushes in front of me. I had never seen a lizard quite that small, and wondered if it was a baby. After a little research I found out that these particular lizards lay eggs that hatch in September, so it must have been!


Finding Disc 4 of 5 of the "True Blood" Season 1 at my local Blockbuster. Sookie, Bill, and the colorful world of vampires and mind-readers inhabiting the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana - here I come!


What did YOU love about today?

These are my three favorite Christmas gifts I received this year...



My Grandma Sims has been collecting bells for a VERY long time. She has a cabinet full of them. I always stand in front of it, admiring them. I point out the ones I love most, and my grandma always surprises me at Christmas with my favorite bell. This Christmas bell is BY FAR my favorite gift - in fact, probably one of my favorite belongings.




A 'Money Tree' from my mom and dad. There's something really convenient about being able to pull some cash off my tree whenever I need it. My mom must have been fibbing when she said "Money doesn't grow on trees, Trina."



The cutest little Bambi figurine in the world, from my cutest little sister in the world.


And last but not least...


A beautiful necklace from my husband.



What were your favorite gifts this holiday?

Pumpkin has decided she prefers to drink from glasses instead of her water bowl. Even though her water bowl is full of fresh water...she'll go from glass to glass around the house, sticking her head, or paw, all the way to the bottom to check for water. So we've just resorted to leaving her a glass full of water on the counter from now on. (Sorry for the sideways video. I didn't realize my camera didn't automatically flip the image when I turned it)



What a princess...

I've started a new cycling class at the gym on base and it is FANTASTIC! I've recently started attending group exercise classes regularly and I'm already a HUGE fan because they really make me push myself a lot more than if I were exercising alone.

My numbers:
50 min
170 avg heartrate
800 calories
10 in HR zone (0 below, 40 above)

Wooooo...I can't wait until I start seeing improvements in those numbers. This was only my third class, but it already seemed a ton easier than the first.


This picture is kind of ridiculous....they are smiling WAY too much, and not sweating nearly enough :)

I talked to the instructor and a few of the women in the class for a bit afterwards. One of them has lost 65 lbs - she was about my age, I would guess. And the other has lost 75lbs!! I was so proud of them. I don't even know them, but I know what a struggle it is to lose weight. It was a big motivation to talk to them. Kind of gave me the refreshing boost that I needed - reminded me exactly why I am in these classes in the first place.

I'm ready for the next class!

A new blog template for a fresh start...

I feel compelled to give blogging another go!


Wish me luck. :)